Market demands for smaller and more functional electronic devices have driven the development of semiconductor devices, including semiconductor packages, and entire systems disposed on a chip. In general, semiconductor packages include at least one semiconductor chip covered with a plastic or epoxy encapsulation material. Some electronic devices are employed in high temperature applications, for example, automotive applications, and operate in demanding environments.
Thermal cycling of the semiconductor package has the potential to separate the semiconductor chip from the encapsulation material, due in part to these components having different thermal coefficients of expansion. The separation at the interface of the semiconductor chip and the encapsulation material provides an opening for the ingress of moisture. The moisture ingress undesirably corrodes electrical connections on the chip and has the potential to warp or otherwise affect the dimensions of the chip.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.